Rusty-flanked Crake

Small, pretty, montane waxbill. Note the bicolored black-and-red bill, gray head, yellow belly, olive back, and black tail. The red rump is conspicuous in flight. Found at middle and high elevations in lush scrub, gardens, cultivation, grassland, and forest edge. Often feeds on the grass along road edges. Usually in small flocks. The call is a clear “swee,” often given in flight.

Rather small hawk that is often seen soaring on flat wings with tips swept upwards, suddenly dropping out of the sky like a rock. Dark morph adult is very dark brown with paler undersides on outer flight feathers. Dark juvenile similar but is distinctly spotted below, and lacks the terminal band on the wings. Light morph adult is clean white below and brown above with rusty patch on the side of its neck, a dark hood and a white throat. Light morph juvenile is similar but lacks rusty patch. All birds have a faintly banded tail. Most similar to Broad-winged Hawk, which is never clean white below. Dark morph Broad-winged separable from dark morph Short-tailed Hawks by tail pattern and wing shape.

Medium-sized, active flycatcher of forest canopy; often observed on the periphery of mixed-species flocks. When seen well, note entirely yellow underparts, including throat. Found in a variety of lowland forest types, including tall rainforest and low-stature forests on sandy soils. Forages actively, almost always in small groups; often sits on top of large leaf clusters on outer branches. Similar to several other kiskadee-like flycatchers, but behavior and voice are quite different. Quite vocal; often-heard call is a distinctive hollow rattle with a purring quality.